DAY 12 | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, will today be facing the 12th day of her corruption trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
She is facing three charges pertaining to the alleged misappropriation of funds for the supply and installation of solar energy at 369 rural schools in Sarawak for the Education Ministry.
The RM1.25 billion project was awarded to Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd through direct negotiation.
Malaysiakini brings you live reports of the proceedings.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- I was ordered to act immediately by Education Ministry chief sec - witness
- High Court hears that Jepak requested PM to approve RM130m advance
- Jepak failed to meet Finance Ministry's requirements - witness
- Businessperson Ahmed Farriq recalled to identify 'Lawrence'
I was ordered to act immediately by Education Ministry chief sec - witness
10.25am - Kamarudin testifies that on April 25, 2017, then Education Ministry chief secretary Alias Ahmad had contacted him via WhatsApp.
Alias had sent to him a letter from Jepak to the Prime Minister dated April 21 that year.
Kamarudin said he was ordered to act upon the minute annotated by the prime minister on the Jepak letter.
The prime minister's minutes read: "YBhg Datuk Sri Alias. This request is approved. Please issue the advance immediately."
Kamarudin said he took screenshots of the WhatsApp conversation and printed it and the Jepak letter for record-keeping.
High Court hears that Jepak requested PM to approve RM130m advance
10.20am - Kamarudin testifies that the Prime Minister's Department (PMD) had sent a letter to Education Ministry chief secretary Alias Ahmad on April 19, 2017.
The PMD letter is to forward another letter from Jepak to the prime minister.
In the letter, Jepak asks the prime minister, in his capacity as finance minister, to approve the RM130 million advance.
Jepak also asked the prime minister to order Alias to pay out the advance without any delay.
The PMD letter is annotated with a minute from the prime minister, which reads "YBhg Datuk Sri Alias. Please sign this contract immediately".
Jepak failed to meet Finance Ministry's requirements - witness
10. 15am - The tenth witness, former Education Ministry asset acquisition and management department secretary Kamarudin Abdullah is back in the stand.
He resumes reading his witness statement.
Kamarudin testifies that Jepak Holdings had failed to meet the Finance Ministry's requirements to secure a RM130 million advance for the solar panel project.
This is noted in a letter from the Finance Ministry, replying to former Education Ministry chief secretary Alias Ahmad who asked for the advance.
The Finance Ministry letter noted that Jepak had presented to the Finance Ministry an insurance guarantee from one Archipelago Insurance Limited, which was not licensed under the Financial Services Act.
Archipelago it said, was only licensed by the Labuan Financial Services Authority.
The Finance Ministry said that in order to speed up the payment process, the Education Ministry should adhere to existing financial regulations and sign the procurement contract with Jepak soon.
Businessperson Ahmed Farriq recalled to identify 'Lawrence'
10.08am - Businessperson Ahmed Farriq Zainul Abidin is recalled to identify an individual known to him as Lawrence, who was absent yesterday.
Lawrence comes through the witness door and is identified.
Defence counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork takes the opportunity to ask further questions.
He asks Ahmad Farriq if he knew who the two butlers who took two bags from Rizal Mansor's car and into Seri Perdana, were.
The witness replies in the negative.
Azrul then asks then that Ahmad Farriqwould not know what the butlers did with the bags, which the witness concurs.
DPP Ahmad Akram Gharib then asks Ahmad Farriq if there are any other residences within Seri Perdana.
Ahmad Farriq replies that he doesn't know
Proceedings begin
10.02am - High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan enters the court and proceedings begin.
9.50am - The accused, Rosmah Mansor enters the witness dock.
She asks one of her aides for a mask, which is then placed by her side.
The ninth prosecution witness Ahmed Farriq Zainul Abidin, a businessperson, enters the witness stand.
Former Education Ministry asset acquisition and management department secretary Kamarudin Abdullah will continue reading from his witness statement today before being questioned by lawyers.
The 10th witness had testified yesterday that he was instructed to write a letter to the chief secretary of the Treasury to apply for Jepak Holdings to take over the maintenance and operation of diesel gen-sets in rural Sarawak schools.
He had also received instructions from former education minister Mahdzir Khalid to amend the letter of award (LOA) to Jepak Holdings to remove "Clause 11".
Clause 11 refers to a right to the government to terminate the contract anytime in between.
Earlier yesterday, businessperson Razak Othman testified that he did not know exactly how much money he and his business partner, Jepak Holding managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, had packed into two bags that were to be delivered to a person identified as "RM".
Another witness, who saw the bags being delivered to Seri Perdana, said he did not know that they contained money.
[More to follow] - Mkini
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